Brooker & Thanawala Hit Fifties In Battling Sussex Defeat
Mon 11 Aug 2025
Half-centuries from Becki Brooker (51) and the returning Prisha Thanawala (50) took the Foxes close, but hosts Sussex fought back to claim a 56-run win in Arundel.
The pair added 117 for the second wicket after April Herathge’s three-wicket haul (10-0-53-3) had helped set up a chase of 273.
Sussex skipper Chiara Green won the toss and elected to bat, with openers Izzy Collis and Mollie Adams facing a stern examination in the early exchanges.
Emma Thatcher and Laura Crofts kept things tight, restricting the Sharks to just 36 runs in the powerplay, as both came close to breakthroughs.
Herathge made an immediate impact on her introduction to the attack, striking with her very first delivery. Adams (30) chipping to Cesca Sweet at backward point to end a strong opening stand. Collis was joined by Phoebe Wilkinson, and the pair pushed the total to 110 before Herathge struck again, bowling the latter for 26.
In the 32nd over, Holly Whitfield produced a superb catch off Lucy Weston’s bowling to remove Collis for 55. Weston then became the catcher, pouching a chance on the ropes to rid of Nancy Harman (37), giving Herathge her third.
The Foxes continued to pick up wickets with Crofts claiming two, while Aimee Colquhoun and Sweet added one apiece, as Sussex closed on 272/8.
Chasing 273 for victory, the Foxes opened with Brooker and Sweet but disaster struck early. Four balls into the innings, Lottie Curling bowled Sweet (0), leaving Leicestershire one down without scoring.
Making her first appearance of the season, Thanawala joined Brooker and the pair added 40 runs by the end of the powerplay. Playing with positive intent, Brooker brought up her fifty from 70 balls with seven fours in the 23rd over, before Thanawala followed suit an over later from 73 balls.
Momentum was building at the halfway stage but two key wickets from Green removed both set batters, Brooker (51) and Thanawala (50), and swung the pendulum into Sussex’s favour.
Ellen Watson (4) fell soon after, leaving the Foxes requiring 131 more runs with Sophie Bennett and Weston at the crease. Ava Lee then produced a game-changing spell, dismissing Weston (39) and Colquhoun (0) three balls apart, before removing Bennett (24) to leave Leicestershire seven down.
Crofts (2), Whitfield (12) followed, before Talitha Stanley sealed the result by bowling Thatcher to secure a 56-run win for the hosts.
Stephen Franklin’s side will look to bounce back when they face Middlesex at Uptonsteel County Ground on Saturday 16 August.
